These burritos are great for a family dinner, and the recipe is easily doubled for a crowd. They freeze beautifully, too, so make more and freeze them for another day. It’s nice to have some in the freezer for those evenings when you don’t feel like cooking or just don’t have time.
I use ground beef and refried beans, but you can experiment with other ingredients. Add a cup or so of canned black beans to the mixture, or spice them up with some finely chopped hot peppers—e.g., poblano, jalapeño, chipotle, or serrano. Or you could add heat with hot sauce or crusted red pepper flakes. Bell peppers or roasted peppers are also good in these burritos.
Recipe Variations
- Use ground turkey or ground chicken instead of beef. Or use a combination of different ground meats.
- Replace the refried beans with drained canned black beans or pinto beans.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika or chipotle powder for smoky flavor.
- Replace the enchilada sauce with 1 cup of salsa or a large chopped tomato and 2 teaspoons of lime juice.
Beef and Bean Burritos
Spice up your dinner routine with these tasty beef and bean burritos. Perfect for a quick and satisfying meal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Ground Beef
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 16-ounce can refried beans
- 1 cup red enchilada sauce (divided use)
- 6 flour tortillas, burrito size
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, or cheddar jack, or a Mexican blend, divided use
- 2 cups shredded lettuce
- Optional garnishes: cilantro, chopped tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, sliced ripe olives, guacamole
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 F.
- In a large skillet cook the ground beef, onion, and garlic until ground beef is no longer pink, about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring to break up meat. Drain well.
- Add the chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper; simmer for 5 minutes. Add refried beans and half of the enchilada sauce. Cook until heated through; keep warm.
- Arrange the tortilla on the countertop. Add about 1 heaping tablespoon of shredded cheese to the center of each tortilla (about half of the cheese). Top with approximately 1/2 to 2/3 cup of the beef mixture, then end with the remaining shredded cheese.
- Roll tightly, burrito-style, tucking the sides in to encase the mixture completely.
- Heat the burritos in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides.
- Serve on a platter lined with shredded lettuce with the remaining enchilada sauce for drizzling and your choice of toppings.
Notes
Make Ahead:
Make the burritos up to step 5, wrap each one in foil, and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze in a food storage bag for up to 3 months. Defrost frozen burritos in the fridge overnight.
To reheat a burrito, remove the foil and wrap it in a dampened paper towel. Heat in the microwave until warm, about 2 to 4 minutes.
